Summer

I realize this is the first post in nearly three months. Summer is a very busy time for the Rymans. The cabin calls to us nearly every weekend and those weekends we didn't travel up north were always jam-packed with activities here at home. Plus we got a new camera sometime ago and we had an interim period "between cameras" where we actually didn't take too many photos.

But we had a wonderful summer. We had so much fun doing new things with Nick. I can say that we are all sad to see it go, but we're trying to look forward to all the fun things we're already planning for the fall.

Here are a few photos of summer activities.

Here is Nick in the boat on Lake Minnetonka. We went out on the lake just yesterday - one last time to take the boat out this summer.

Nick loves to play outside more than anything (one of the many reason's I'm nervous for cold weather to come). He wakes up and before I can put a clean diaper on him he's already yelling "outside, outside, outside!" He will sit down on the step and try to put his shoes on - he can't quite master it yet - but it's his way of letting us know, it's time to go outside.

Loves to play with Dad's sunglasses.

Ahhh, what a cutie!

Just playing at home.

"Ummm, can you guys get this tube out of the shed for me? I want to go for another ride!" Yes, Nick went on several tube rides this summer. With mom, with dad, and even one ride with Mom, Aunt Kat and cousin Alison (Yes, all four us fit on one tube - you can see here it is huge!)

Nick loves bubbles. He hasn't learned yet how to blow them himself - he will just put the whole thing in his mouth.

And this photo shows two of Nick's favorite things in the world - 1.) being naked and 2.) any kind of tractor. He loves the lawn mower and Grandpa's bigger tractor. He climbs on the lawnmower, sits in the seat and plays with the key. It won't be long until he figures out how to actually start the thing. I have a feeling with his obsession with driving things we're going to be paying someone to fix our garage when he runs the car through it at age 3.

All in all we had a great summer. Nick's doing really well. He's 16 months old today and growing in every way. He's at the 93rd percentile for height (go figure) and nearly every day I come home surprised at what new thing he learned to do or what concept he now understands. He is very sweet, loves to give the kitty's and other kids hugs and will sometimes humor mom with a hug and kiss. He will no longer walk up or down the stairs as a "baby" and insists on walking down and up like a "big boy". This of course makes me nervous, hence all the baby gates, but he always waits to hold mom or dad's hand - at least so far. He had his last sip of milk from a bottle and is now 100 percent using cups. He also is working on transitioning to one nap a day (like today), which wouldn't be bad if his one nap was every longer than 30 minutes.

He is very much a daddy's boy - he is so in love with Tim. Whenever he even leaves the room Nick will yell in protest, "Dada, Dada, Dada!" I think it's adorable, even when it makes me jealous.

We will try to do a better job updating this blog with photos and such this fall.